


The World Stops

by JustCharlieBruh



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Absynthe, Butlers, Doctor Who AU, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluffier than your neighbors labradoodle, M/M, Mer!Shinichi, Murder Husbands, Mythology - Freeform, Strippers, These boys smooch at least twenty times possibly more, Transistor AU, Various AUs, Wings, a l o t of aus, etc etc etc, my apology to these boys for ruining their lives so much crine, toumei answer, various kisses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-07 15:45:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14674275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustCharlieBruh/pseuds/JustCharlieBruh
Summary: Twenty different Alternate Universes. Twenty different kisses. The same two boys.(Poem referenced, written by an unknown author which is unfortunate.)





	1. Masquerade

**Author's Note:**

> "There’s a moment  
> Between a glance and a kiss  
> Where the world stops,  
> For the briefest of times.  
> And the only thing between us  
> Is the anticipation  
> Of your lips on mine.  
> A moment,  
> So intense,  
> It hangs in the air  
> As it pulls us closer.  
> A moment,  
> So perfect,  
> That when it comes to an end,  
> We realize;  
> It’s only just beginning…"

It’s nearing the end of the ball as Shinichi scans the crowd for their target. No luck amongst the sea of masks. He clicks his tongue in annoyance, turning for the balcony when he feels a body slide next to him. He bristles, almost smacks them with his cane even if it means his leg collapses under his weight when a familiar mask comes into view.

He calms, letting his husband carry his weight for a moment before Shinichi begins walking with him. Kaito’s arm is secure, definitely guiding him somewhere. He leans in, voice low enough to still be audible. “Is there a reason you and the rest of our _staff_ have been herding me towards the balcony since the fourth dance or…?” He doesn’t get an answer, just a squeeze of his hip as Kaito ushers him through the balcony doors. He spies Hakuba-kun and Hattori on either side, clearly barring entry. He lets himself survey the area one last time, catching the eye of the target just before the doors shut. His eyes widen underneath his mask as she _grins_ at him.

Kaito deposits him against the railing, taking a few steps back and pushing up his mask to be heard clearly. The clover brooch on his suit twinkles under the night sky. Shinichi takes a look at his surroundings. They’re the only two here. Kaito’s body language is...confusing. Something is off.

His cane clicks against the stone work as he steps forward. “Clover,” Kaito twitches at the use of his codename, good. Shinichi makes sure to radiate disappointment as he keeps three steps between them, his voice layered in annoyance. “She was right _there_ , we could have-”

Clover steps forward, hiding something from him in the way his hands twitch. Shinichi grits his teeth. Strong hands land on his shoulders, jolting him, “She offered me quite a sum of money for your life, darling,” those hands slip under his mask, pushing it up far enough to cup his cheeks.

His grip on his cane tightens. Clover pushes him back, against the railing as an updraft ruffles his hair. The ocean crashes ominously against the cliff below.

“Did you take the money?” And it seems the question catches his husband off guard as he falters.

“I— Yes, I did.” comes tumbling from Clover’s lips. He sounds confused, as one might be if their husband doesn’t fight back against being murdered. Shinichi hums, thinking.

“Alright then,” he nods, resolute, “you have your money, you have your motive. Go right ahead, do whatever it is she wants you to do to me.”

Clover barks out a laugh, one hand still gently cups his cheek as another slides down to warm his hip. His infamous grin shines under the moonlight and for a moment, Shinichi’s heart swells at the sight of it. “Darling, she just wants you _dead_. Even gave me a cyanide pill to slip in just in case the option of kissing you came up,” he snorts ungracefully, “she’s more a closet romantic than a murderer. She described it as a kiss of death with only the moon as our witness.”

“Yes, well, the moon’s already witnessed quite a bit of what we’ve done,” Shinichi murmurs as he’s already tilting his head to allow his husband to move closer. “Dying from a kiss of yours isn’t such a bad way to go.”

Clover laughs quietly until Shinichi slots their lips together to shut him up. His cane clatters off to the side as he falls against his husband, feeling his pulse flutter under his fingertips as he drinks him in. Clover— _Kaito_ pulls away as Shinichi whines in his throat, unfastening his own mask and slipping it off to throw it beside his cane. Shinichi blinks slowly, breathing heavily through his nose while trying to understand why exactly he’d do such a thing. He barely remembers that he’s about to die before Kaito dives back into him, tongue curling over Shinichi’s teeth in a way that has him weaker in the knees than he already is. He’s the only thing holding him up besides the railing now as his thumbs slot behind Kaito’s ears to keep him in place. Still, the question burns itself into the back of his mind.

So he pulls away with a _pop_. Just barely as Kaito whines, moving forward to try and steal his breath away. He laughs breathlessly as their noses bump and Kaito’s hair is pushed away by the mask. “If you’re trying to kill me by suffocation, it’s not working very well.” He pets through Kaito’s hair, pecking him on the lips before pulling away again. “I thought that you had that cyanide pill on you?”

Kaito snorts, moving to duck his head and press a kiss to Shinichi’s pulse, his thoughtful hum vibrates through Shinichi’s throat. “As if I’d actually want to kill you.” He kisses his way up to Shinichi’s cheek, “Darling, our marriage may have been arranged, but you do know that I love you, right?”

He tilts his head thoughtfully before looking back at Kaito. He watches his husband’s face crumble into worry and disappointment before Shinichi unclips his own mask, callously tossing it next to his husband’s on the floor. He gives him a crooked grin, pressing light kisses across Kaito’s cheekbones to soothe him. “I know, sweetheart,” he pecks him on the lips again, practically mumbling against them as he continues on, “but you can’t blame me for thinking that you could do better. What will you do when she comes looking for you to see if you’ve done the job?”

“She won’t.” Kaito nips at his bottom lip as his arms move to secure his waist. “Hattori and Hakuba are there for a reason; she gets too close to the doors, she gets taken out. They’ll let us know when she’s gone.” He kisses the curve of Shinichi’s jaw, still looking somewhat hurt. “What did you mean by thinking I could do better, Shinichi?” A warm hand slides up his jacket and Shinichi shivers.

“I—Well, since my leg— I just think sometimes that I’m slowing you down when you could be doing all this with someone else.” He winces at the tone of his voice. Good stars above could he sound any more like a petulant child?

“Shinichi…” He bites his lip, hesitant to meet Kaito’s eyes until one hand grasps firmly onto his chin and turns him to look into his eyes. He sees affection and— and guilt? “Your leg was _my_ fault in the first place,” He presses a finger to Shinichi’s mouth when Shinichi starts to object, “And if you think me someone who’ll do something so horrific and then leave _you,_ of all people, then it seems that we still need to work on raising your self-esteem.”

“Kai?” Then the guilt is replaced by determination and Shinichi’s heart stutters. His husband holds him close as he leans in close enough to count every eyelash. “What are you—?”

And Kaito kisses him, short and sweet before pulling away again, “I’m raising your self-esteem.” He smothers Shinichi’s face in kisses before pulling him in to steal his breath away.


	2. Doctor Who

_Shinichi—!_ Their name curls tightly around their wrist as their eyes snap open. They almost fall off the medical cot in their shock as the message almost cuts into their flesh, filled with panic and the slightest hesitation. They sway to their feet, still dizzy from the lack of blood as they try to send a message back.

 _Where….you?_ They wince, allowing it to curve down the path of his spine. They grab onto a nearby wall for purchase, just to stop the room from spinning under their feet for a bit. Their hull groans, warming enough to make them sleepy. They grit their teeth. How in the world could the other half of their soul think of resting _now_ , when the Doctor _needs_ them?

The message takes its time, tinted by fear as it kisses across their palm, _Hallway 35._ Their brow furrows for a moment as they try to remember where exactly that is. It takes a few milliseconds of searching their internal map before they finally piece it all together. A curse slips from their lips as they start to rearrange the rooms and hallways to find him. _Shinichi—?!_ Slips between their fingers as they turn left down a long hallway. _Rearranging. To find you._ They send in return, letting it settle over his hearts.

For what seems like an eternity, they stumble down dark hallways until they see him, crouching against the wall. The giant hoard of telepathic fish bump against their glass confused as to why the man that had captured them so many life times ago refused to look at them now. Shinichi grits their teeth, using a small blast of anger to tell them to _leave_. They scatter, not wanting their home to do anything else, even as Shinichi apologizes. It’s just that the Doctor is more important right now.

Speaking of the Doctor, they hobble over to him, ignoring how their internal systems warn of inevitable shut down. “Doctor,” They sigh, burying their face into the chocolate brown nest of hair to hide their annoyance, “why in the world would you take this hallway even with your phobia?” They slide a hand up and down his spine, trying to hold him as close as possible as he still shakes.

He murmurs something against their chest, they feel it reverberate but can’t fully make it out.

“Beg pardon?” They tilt their head in confusion as he lifts his head out of their shirt. He’s annoyed at the very least— No, the glare in his eyes, the small pout of his lips as a flush reaches the tips of his ears, their eyes widen, he’s _embarrassed_.

“I said,” He starts through gritting teeth, “it was the fastest way back to you.” And he looks away.

Shinichi blinks rapidly, the space where their hearts would be growing dangerously warm at the admission. Now, if their body weren’t artificially made, they’d call the feeling love, but seeing as the body is artificial...It’s probably a leak or something. They shake their head both in disbelief at the thought of the Doctor, of _Kaito_ , trying to walk through an aquarium just to get to them faster and at the fact that they allowed themself to get this bad that they had to start prioritizing themself over their pilot. “I—Kaito, you didn’t—” They sputter helplessly as they move to lace their fingers on the nape of his neck. They exhale shakily, not knowing what else to do with the overflowing emotions besides act on them. So, they pull him onto shaky feet, stumbling backwards before he steadies them both on the nearby glass, and then they pull him into a kiss.

And another and another, kiss after kiss after kiss as they slowly move down the hall. Shinichi has half a mind to just connect the hallway to the Infirmary, which they do after some mental calculations. Shinichi’s body wouldn’t be able to make the journey back without ‘passing out’ as the Doctor calls it, thus freaking him out even more. He barely even flinches at the grinding gears, too focused on the way Shinichi steals his breath and twines their fingers into his hair. Good.

The warm light of the infirmary washes over them as they stumble over the threshold, Kaito sucks a kiss onto their jaw before straightening himself out. The world _glows_ golden for a second as he flicks his fingers in the air and it takes Shinichi a moment to realize that he’s activated the nanobots. They shiver as they feel the tiny medical bots begin repairing their insides. They’ll never get over how weird it feels.

Kaito laces their fingers together, the warmth distracting them for the moment. He pulls them into a chaste kiss, wrapping an arm around their waist to help guide them to a bed. His skin is still paler than normal, cooler than normal under their sensors. He must still be in some form of shock. They take the chance, trusting in his ability to guide, and fall against the medical cot with him on top. He kisses them again, before repositioning them both.

Shinichi, flat on their back, turns to look at him as he props his head up, elbow digging into the cot. Their fingers are still twined together, Kaito’s arm stretching across their torso, the warmth providing only comfort as he hooks a leg across their waist. They blink slightly as he presses a kiss just under one of their eyelids. The room warms for a moment and they try to ignore his knowing grin.

“So cute.” He laughs, nuzzling another kiss into their hairline. They huff, slipping an arm around his neck to drag him into a slow kiss. _Shut up. Rest_ is firm against the back of his neck. He laughs into the kiss before firing back a _Yes, darling_ that winds down their side.


	3. Wings AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next is Transistor which makes up for the lack of angst and length in this one. I do apologize in advance with how rough this is.

Kaito lets Shinchi squish him into a corner, wings flaring in response to his own thudding against the walls. The other man kisses up his neck, barely letting Kaito speak before he kisses him with such desperation that Shinichi fully presses against him, curving under Kaito’s touch. It’s nice, especially with how Shinichi’s hands are warm under his suit and how Shinichi’s tongue presses up against his palette, but— They really need to have this talk.

So, with a wounded noise, he pushes his boyfriend away. Not too far, considering Shinichi’s grip is tight around his hips, but enough to at least breath.

“Shinichi,” He croaks out between gasps of air, “we— This is _nice_ and there’s nothing I’d love more than for you to strip me out of the KID suit with your teeth, _but_ we need to talk about tonight.”

“What is there to talk about,” And Shinichi rumbles unhappily, wings rippling, threatening to beat  before Kaito steps closer to nose at his neck to soothe him, “I was defending my territory and rightfully so.”

Kaito clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, “No matter what we are now, Shinichi, living beings are not territory.” He hears his own voice undulate, feels the Traveler at his back as his own wings flare against the wall. “A shame that your Ascension made _you_ of all people forget that.”

He watches carefully as his detective’s eye flash red for a moment before settling back into blue. He blinks, looking disoriented as one hand goes to hold his head. “Kaito…?” His voice undulates before reverting to regular Shinichi. Guilt is hidden in every shadow of his face and Kaito sighs. “D-Did I really do all that? Did I say all of that to the inspectors?”

“You did,” He sees no reason to sugarcoat it, “although I can’t blame you. That particular inspector threatened to cut off my beautiful wings and mount them on his wall.” He winces a moment, “you didn’t take it very well.”

Shinichi exhales as Kaito presses a kiss to his throat. Kaito can feel the mortification, the guilt radiating off of his boyfriend and he only holds him closer. “Detective,” Kaito carefully untangles from him, taking care to lace their fingers together, “let’s move to the nest, yeah?”

His detective makes a soft noise, but lets himself be lead to their nest and for that, Kaito is grateful. It’s comfortable thing, a circular bed covered in pillows and blankets, centered in one of the larger rooms that has a balcony attached for an easy exit.

He sheds himself of KID, carefully slipping of the remnants of his top and stowing away his top hat. He trades his trousers for sweatpants and carefully sits on the edge, mindful of his wings. Shinichi stands at the doorway, ethereal in the moonlight streaming through the balcony doors painting him in pale tones as he hesitantly steps forward.

“Shinichi,” His voice cuts through the silence. He holds a hand out, beckoning his boyfriend over, “come here.”

He watches as his wings twitch before his detective slowly makes his way before him. Kaito can’t help but smile softly up at him. “Sweetheart,” He starts, “I don’t blame you for acting the way you did, even if you do.” He presses a kiss on Shinichi’s palm, “You just forgot your own mortality for a moment and that’s what scared me.” He kisses the underside of his wrist, “Your Ascension is finished, yes, but please don’t forget that you can still be killed.”

“I didn’t.” Shinichi sounds sorry and petulant and Kaito raises an eyebrow at him. Shinichi’s actions tonight spoke of otherwise. Facing down two officers with loaded weapons as he snarled at a third over his baseless comment is something he never wants to see Shinichi do again. This is why his rules are in place and why only Nakamori-keibu is allowed to lead his Taskforce. No outsiders and especially no exceptions after tonight. “He just... When he spoke of cutting off your wings,” And Shinichi’s face twists in pain, he looks as if he’s holding back tears before he pulls Kaito into a hug. “It only reminded me of Snake and— And I could only remember that night where—”

Kaito hushes him, “You got to me in the end, Meitantei.”

Shinichi shakes his head against his shoulder, “He almost _de-winged_ you, Kaito. I—”

Kaito brackets his face in his hands, staring him right in the eyes as he presses their foreheads together. “I’m _here_ , Meitantei.” Their noses bump slightly. “You got to me in time and I’m _here_ . Stop focusing on the what-ifs and focus on _me_.”

And he kisses him, hard enough that Kaito almost falls off the bed in his desperation. Shinichi enthusiastically returns it as his body practically curves into him yet again. And yet, even as he curls his tongue just so, he knows by the way Shinichi grips at the spot between his shoulder blades that this conversation isn’t finished.


	4. Transistor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito cries a lot in this. Sorry, Kaito, love you.

As Kaito regains consciousness, he pretends he’s still asleep, stretching out his senses because they scream that something is _wrong_. The waves are still comforting as they crash against the shore beneath him. Shinichi’s blazer grounds him to reality, a comforting weight upon his shoulders and yet-

There’s no deep ache of the wounds he left untreated, no dried blood sticking his clothes to his skin. There’s only warmth wrapping around him, cradling him in the hammock and his brain goes into overdrive. At first, he thinks Luna has crawled into the hammock with him, her being overly affectionate creature that she is. But, his brain refutes, how could Luna climb in without injuring either of them further if the Transistor—if _Shinichi_ was already occupying the space. His face scrunches up in thought before the panic overtakes the fatigue and his brain is screaming that Shinichi— that the sword holding his consciousness— is gone.

His eyes snap open, fear coursing through his veins at the thought of losing Shinichi. He’s already lost him once and his heart wouldn’t be able to bear losing him again. It’s then that Kaito notices the weight on his chest as he tries to regulate his breathing. He looks down and a choked noise leaves him. A familiar arm straps itself across his torso. It ends gently at his hip, violinist’s fingers splaying out, tucking under him to most likely keep him from tipping the hammock over and send them both careening into the water. He follows it to the body, not believing his eyes. A strangled noise leaves him as he finally looks at his bed (more like hammock) mate’s face.

Lying there, next to him, _holding_ him is Shinichi. Kaito’s throat constricts as he tries to take this all in. He forces himself to hold in the tears threatening to spill over as he commits every line of his fiance’s face to memory. He exhales shakily, because this doesn’t—

It _can’t_ be real. Shinichi is _dead_ , trapped in the damn sword that had started all of this in the first place, he can’t be—

Kaito raises an arm, hesitant to even touch the other man.

He does anyways and— It’s almost too much for him to handle. Shinichi makes a soft noise, leaning into him and Kaito can’t stop the emotions flooding through him. He can barely breath, can barely see through his tears as he chokes out a sob. The hammock rocks perilously as he wastes no time in pulling the other as close as humanly possible, shoving his face into his neck to hide his tears as their legs twine together. It’s all evidence that whatever this is— It might not be a dream after all.

Shinichi makes a sort of snuffling noise above him, pressing him into the hammock. Kaito doesn’t mind though, even as the ropes dig uncomfortably into his back. It just means that he’s real. That _this_ is real. Tremors shake him down to his core even as Shinichi begins to shift above him, most likely waking up. Still. Kaito holds him close, too scared to let go. His fists ball up in Shinichi’s shirt as his detective slowly wakes up, rocking the hammock a bit.

“Kaito…?” His fiance slurs as he buries his face into his neck. Warm, strong hands cage him in as Shinichi lifts himself off a bit, kneeling over him. Seeing his fiance alive and well, the eternal sunset painting him in pinks and blues. Kaito’s chest tightens as his vision blurs. It’s _too_ much.

His chest almost spasms as he tries to take a breath in even as Shinichi begins making panicked noises above him. He furiously wipes at the fat tears rolling down his face even as Shinichi gently cups his cheek, holding him like he’s something precious.

It only makes him cry harder.

The hammock sways dangerously as Shinichi flails, checking _him_ for injuries. Kaito hiccups slightly, body jolting as Shinichi’s hands slip under his shirt. He swallows past the lump in his throat, meeting Shinichi’s eyes as he wipes away still falling tears.

“‘M sorry.” His voice is hoarse, unused, “Missed you, ‘Nichi.”

Shinichi’s eyes soften, one hand slipping out from under his shirt to wipe away some tears. The other gently grabs Kaito’s hand and he inhales shakily as Shinichi presses a gentle kiss to his palm. “I’ve always been right here, Kaito,” and his hand slides down, resting atop his heart, “I never left.”

Kaito whines in the back of his throat, because he knows it’s true. Shinichi is still with him, even as his consciousness is trapped in the sword but– Kaito _misses_ him. Misses snuggling with him on cold nights and giving him morning kisses and eating _with_ him. It still hurts. Everything still hurts, even as he throws his arms around Shinichi and pulls him down into a kiss. Shinichi slips an arm around his waist, pulling him up against him and kisses him until Kaito can no longer taste his tears.

Shinichi kisses him the same way he did the night he proposed. Kaito can almost see it under the fireworks behind his eyelids. Then—

The world warps. It shifts under his back and messes with most of his senses. The only constant is Shinichi, the other man’s arms around him, grounding him as his head spins. When Kaito pulls away despite Shinichi’s confused noises, his stomach drops.

They’re no longer in the Sandbox, but in the Empty Set. The night it all went down. He can see _them,_ the Camerata, can see Akako, and Gin, and Akai, and Spider. He sees them all smiling, giving him a knowing look as Gin raises his hand and the damned _Transistor_ comes flying at them. Shinichi is still holding him and—

He turns at the last second, letting it strike Kaito down and it _hurts._ He feels like he’s losing himself as he falls into Shinichi’s arms. The electricity burns through him and for a split second through the pain, he wonders if this is how Shinichi felt when he had jumped in its path.

He sinks to his knees, dragging Shinichi down with him as his vision starts to blur. As he casts one last look up at his fiance, his heart seizes in his chest.

Shinichi smiles down at him, eyes gleaming red as his hair turns pure white strand by strand.

The panic overwhelms the pain as he struggles to escape, feebly pushing at the other man’s arms despite the technological sword protruding from his chest. In his hysteria, he wonders if Shinichi was even holding him at all. He sobs, fists balled up in this being, in this processed version of Shinichi’s shirt as it whispers all of his deepest fears.

 _“You’re going to lose me.”_ He shakes his head desperately, sobbing into its chest as it spews taunt after malicious taunt. The shadows close in and all Kaito can feel is numbness as it works through his body.

All he can think is just a continuous string of _Shinichi please save me_ and _stop_ and _help me_.

 _“The sword will break before you save me, you’ll-”_ Kaito furiously shakes his head, tuning it out as his body begins to warm up around his wound. Even the processed version of his fiance stops, the Camerata stop, everything _stops_. The sword, he watches it shimmer and then disappear into fragments and his body reverts, like he was never even harmed. The arms around him go slack and he pushes himself away from the Process as it stares at something over his shoulder.

He barely gets a chance to look as warm arms wrap around his waist, hoisting him to his feet. Through his blurry vision, he sees _his_ Shinichi, sees the cyan lighting up his veins every so often as his hair goes slightly red. He _knows_ that this is Shinichi as the knot in his chest lightens, untangling itself as he laces their hands together. Shinichi hooks his chin over his shoulder, their cheeks rubbing together and even from just the smallest pieces of him that he can see, Kaito knows that he’s furious.

[We all know the sword won’t break.] The static is still clear in his voice and for once, Kaito finds it comforting. He sags against him, making a small noise as his fiance kisses his temple. [Take it from someone who’s _trapped_ inside.] He adds as a follow-up as the processed version of him stands, face looking like it’s made of stone.

Kaito watches the Camerata disappear in order, first Akako, then Akai and his husband, until only Spider and the Process are left. Both look unamused, but Kaito doesn’t care. He has Shinichi’s arms around him, he’s _safe_. The environment falls away into darkness and Shinichi glows like foxfire, cyan spilling out into the dark.

[Why don’t you go on ahead?] Shinichi asks, voice lined with static and steel as he stares down the two across from them. It’s not a request, even as Kaito turns around to face him.

“I’m not leaving you here with them,” And he won’t, not when Shinichi’s eyes practically light up at hearing Kaito’s voice for the first time in who knows how long? He cups Shinichi’s face, gently tracing cyan veins travelling down his neck as his fiance lets out a shaky breath. He presses their foreheads together, staring him straight in the eye, whispering against his lips, “I don’t want—”

Shinichi doesn’t let him say anything else, kissing him softly. He tastes like steel, cold and unforgiving, he pulls away as Kaito’s lungs burn for air like it’s an afterthought. Yet his face is still as soft as ever and his gaze unrepentant as he returns his attention to the two across the way.

[I’ll be there when you wake up,] He squeezes at his hip comfortingly. [Go.]

And Kaito wakes up. Swaying in the slight breeze as the ropes of the hammock dig into his side, the Transistor darkened and cold as it presses into his front. His everything aches as he pushes himself out of the hammock and into the sand. Luna comes bounding over from where she was listening to the record player, whining as she nudges at his shoulder. Right, he’s still bleeding. It’s slowed, but still. He pushes himself up with shaking hands; whether the shaking is from the blood loss or the nightmare, he honestly can’t tell. He hears the Transistor crackle to life as the hammock still sways. He hobbles into view as it lights up.

[Hey there, stranger.] Kaito only smiles down at him before hefting the weapon out and stabbing it into the sand, angled so he could see when Kaito writes. [You don’t look so hot, Kaito, maybe you should take a dip?] Kaito gives him an unamused look, even as he bleeds into the sand.

‘ _You just want me to strip down and give you a show_ ’ He writes out, snorting as he sits back into the sand, grateful that it just slides off his body. He stares at the sword in front of him pensively

Shinichi snorts, static crackling through his voice as he lights up again. [And what exactly would I do, seeing as I have no body?]

Kaito lets out a small grunt at that, mood soured a bit by the reminder. He scoffs, writing out ‘ _Uhm, enjoy the perfect specimen that is my body?_ ’ He can’t help but smile as Shinichi sighs. He scribbles out a quick ‘ _Love you_ ’, pressing a kiss to the red gem as Shinichi squawks before he begins wading into the water, clothes and all.

[Oi! You don’t know how dirty the gem is, idiot, you might get sick! Don’t just put your lips on-] And Kaito grins to himself as Shinichi quietly goes [Oh...Love you too, Kaito.]

As the cool water rushes around him, the tiny microbots inside slowly closing his wounds, he lets a few tears slip as he comes up from dunking under the water. The faster he heals, the faster he can get his voice and Shinichi’s body back.

Three fourths of the Camerata had already paid the price, Kaito had made sure, but there’s still one left. His fists clench and unclench as he thinks of him, of Spider. Remembers the horrible, horrible nightmare still fresh in his brain and he makes a promise to himself.

He would make Spider regret every action he took that led them into this mess. He’d make the man regret even being born and that is a _promise_.


End file.
